- Author:
- Wright, Arnold
- Publication Info:
-
London, Durban, Colombo, Perth (W. A.), Singapore, Hongkong, and Shanghai:
Lloyd's Greater Britain Publishing Company, limited,
1908,
pg 106
Text on page 106
57 TWENTIETH CENTURY IM PRESSIONS OF BRITISH MALAY A
seriously against the success of the work in hand. Indeed, it may be questioned whether the magnificent result which we see to-day would have been possible if British officials of those early days, when everything was in the melting-pot, had stood idly by while the native chiefs were manipulating the alloys after their own fashion. The Residents, who were all officials selected for their special knowledge of Malays, were not the type of men to accept a rle of this sort. They knew that British administrative capacity and even the national prestige was at stake ; they knew further that here was a splendid heritage for the Empire to be had only for the asking ; so, nothing fearing, they kept steadily on their course. They were not " rulers," but they were pre-eminently the power behind the throne. The ship of State was directed whither they wished it to go, and they wished it go along the path of good government, which was also the high-road to commercial prosperity.
One of the earliest developments of the reconstituted Residential system was the establishment of advisory Councils of State. This was a very astute move, for it did more to secure the support of influential Malays and reconcile them to the new rgime than any other step taken in these early days. The Councils, on which there was a mixed representation of chiefs, local officials, and leading men, transacted the ordinary business of an executive council. They discussed and passed legislative enactments, considered revenue questions, and the civil and pension lists, and conferred with the Resident on important matters affecting the welfare of the State. The first of these Councils was established in Perak, and was an immediate success owing to the intelligent co-operation of the Malay chiefs and the general goodwill of the leaders of the foreign native community. Selangor later was endowed with a Council, and the other States, after further intervals, followed on the same path. "The institution," Sir Frank Swettenham says, " served its purpose admirably. The Malay members from the first took an intelligent interest in the proceedings, which were always conducted in Malay, and a seat on the Council is much coveted and highly prized. A tactful Resident could always carry the majority with him, and nothing was so useful or effective in cases of difficulty as for those who would have been obstructive to find that their opinions were not shared by others of their own class and nationality."
Perak, as the chief seat of the troubles which led to British intervention, was watched anxiously by the authorities in the period following the cessation of hostilities. Happily in Mr. (afterwards Sir) Hugh Low the State had an adviser of exceptional ability and strength of character. His previous service had been in Borneo, but he thoroughly understood the Oriental character and quickly adapted himself to the special characteristics of the Malay. His was the iron hand beneath the velvet glove. Firm and yet conciliatory, he directed the ship of State with unerring skill through the shoals and quicksands which beset its course in those early days when the population, or an influential part of it, was smarting under the sense of defeat. Perhaps his tactfulness was in no
direction more strikingly shown than in his treatment of the delicate question of debt slavery. It was obvious from the first that the system was incompatible with British notions of sound and just administration. But to inaugurate a change was no easy task. The practice was, as we have said, a cherished Malay custom, and cut deeply into the home life of the people. Moreover, abolition meant money, and the State at that time was not too well endowed with funds. The masterful Resident, however, was not to be deterred by these considerations from taking up the question. He worked quietly to secure the goodwill of the chiefs, and having done this, formulated a scheme by which the State should purchase the freedom of all bond slaves, paying to their masters a maximum sum of 30 dollars for a male and 60 dollars for a female slave. The proposals were duly laid before the Perak Council, and after discussion unanimously
SIR HUGH LOW.
adopted, December 31, 1883, being fixed as the final date for the continuance of the state of slavery. The emancipation measures were attended by some interesting results. Very few freedmen consented to leave their masters or mistresses, while the latter on their part almost universally said that they set the slaves free " for the glory of God," and refused to take the State's money. " How can we take money for our friends who have so long lived with us, many of them born in our houses ? We can sell cattle, fruit or rice, but not take money for our friends." "Such expressions," Sir Frederick Weld wrote in a despatch dated May 3, 1883, " have been used in very many cases in different parts of Perak. Many slave children whose own mothers are dead always call their mistresses 1 mother,' and the attachment is reciprocal. In fine, this investigation has brought into notice many of the fine qualities of a most interesting and much maligned race,
and affords conclusive proof that the abuses which are sure to co-exist with slavery could not have been general, and bore no comparison with those formerly often accompanying negro slavery in our own colonies."
A rather unpleasant incident, which threatened at one time to have very serious consequences, arose out of the edict for the manumission of slaves. Soon after the arrangements had been put in force the inhabitants of the sub-district of Lomboh, on the Perak river, a centre in close proximity to the scene of Mr. Birch's murder, declined to pay taxes, giving as one of their reasons the abolition of slavery. They refused to meet the Resident excepting by proceeding as an armed body to Kuala Kangsa, and declared that if they were defeated they would disperse in small bands and harry the country.
Everything was done by the British officials and the Malay chiefs to bring the malcontents to reason, but they stubbornly refused to listen, and when approached, beat the mosque drum as a call to the inhabitants to arms. In the circumstances Mr. Low, the Resident, had no alternative but to make a display of force, for, as Sir Frederick Weld, the Governor, remarked in his despatch to the Secretary of State on the subject, " to have yielded to threats would have destroyed all the good work we have done in civilising and pacifying the country." He therefore ordered a force of 100 armed police and two guns to proceed down the river from Kuala Kangsa, and himself proceeded up the river from Teluk Anson with 40 men. The Lamboh people, seeing the Resident's determined attitude and impressed by the proximity of his highly disciplined and effective force, made a complete submission. They now willingly paid their tax, and, expressing deep contrition, promised most humbly never to repeat the offence, but to petition in a quiet way if they had a grievance. Accepting their plea that they were " poor ignorant jungle people," Mr. Low withdrew his warrant for the arrest of the ringleaders, and so terminated happily an episode which might with less skilful handling have set the whole peninsula aflame once more.
In 1884, on Sir Hugh Low's retirement from the Residency of Perak, Sir Cecil Smith, the officer administering the government of the Straits Settlements, reviewed the work done in the State since the introduction of British supervision. In 1876 the revenue of Perak amounted to 213,419 dollars, and the expenditure to 226,379 dollars. In 1883 the revenue had reached a total of 1,474,330 dollars, while the expenditure had grown to 1,350,610 dollars. During the period of Sir Hugh Low's administration debts to.the amount of 800,000 dollars incurred in connection with the disturbances had been paid off, and the State was at the period of the review entirely free from such liabilities. There was a cash balance at the close of the year of 254,949 dollars. As to trade, the value of the imports was calculated in 1876 at 831,375 dollars, and the exports at 739,970 dollars. Similar returns for 1883 showed the imports to have been valued at 4,895,940 dollars, and the exports 5,625,335 dollars. Put in sterling, the aggregate value of the trade was -A2,000,000.In 1884, on Sir Hugh Low's retirement from the Residency of Perak, Sir Cecil Smith, the officer administering the government of the Straits Settlements, reviewed the work done in the State since the introduction of British supervision. In 1876 the revenue of Perak amounted to 213,419 dollars, and the expenditure to 226,379 dollars. In 1883 the revenue had reached a total of 1,474,330 dollars, while the expenditure had grown to 1,350,610 dollars. During the period of Sir Hugh Low's administration debts to.the amount of 800,000 dollars incurred in connection with the disturbances had been paid off, and the State was at the period of the review entirely free from such liabilities. There was a cash balance at the close of the year of 254,949 dollars. As to trade, the value of the imports was calculated in 1876 at 831,375 dollars, and the exports at 739,970 dollars. Similar returns for 1883 showed the imports to have been valued at 4,895,940 dollars, and the exports 5,625,335 dollars. Put in sterling, the aggregate value of the trade was -A 2,000,000.
